So, if you're ever passing through Arkansas and see a saw that can outsaw the saw I saw, I'd like to see the saw you saw as you were passing through Arkansas.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Alternative possible spelling of Collector's last name: Datson, Datser

James Callow comment:

Already typewritten as Prose.

Keyword(s): Arkansas ; Detroit ; GAME ; Language ; Prose ; PUZZLE ; Saw ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

James Callow Keyword(s): Prose ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Language

Tongue Twister:

Betty Botta bought some butter. "But," she said, "this butter's bitter. If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter. But a bit o' better butter will but make my batter better." So she bought a bit o' butter, better than the bitter butter, made her bitter batter better. So 'twas better Betty Botta bought a bit o' better butter.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Something similar (but shorter) already typed as prose.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; REDFORD

Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; Baking ; Batter ; Butter ; COOKING ; Dearborn Heights ; GAME ; Language ; MICHIGAN ; Prose ; PUZZLE ; Redford ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

James Callow Keyword(s): Prose ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Entry filtered.

Poor Wording

A number of GI's in England during the war decided to hold a horse race to keep up the morale of the base. For some reason they were short of active animals for the event. Now it happened that the local parish priest had a donkey and they obtained his permission to use it to make up the field. The donkey to the surprise of everyone came in third in the first race. Where upon the camp newspaper came out with the headline "Padre's Ass Shows."

This naturally caused no small scandal among the people of the parish and eventually reached the bishop. However, when called to ask about it by the bishop the padre managed to mollify the good man by explaining it was only an American slang expression. The next day a race was held and the donkey came in first. The paper then announced "Padre's Ass Out in Front."

This called for further episcopal disapproval, but again the padre succeeded in mollifying the bishop. The third day's race the donkey finished second and the paper reported "Padre's Ass back in Place." This was the last straw for the bishop and he ordered the priest to withdraw the animal from the race. The camp then came forth with the sad news: "Bishop Scratches Padre's Ass."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [ B667 ] modified: the number zero is written over the seven. Additionally, the entire BN is crossed out and replaced with B660.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): AMERICAN ; Anecdote ; Culture Clash ; DONKEY ; European ; GAMBLING ; HORSE ; Jest ; Language ; MILITARY ; NEWSPAPER ; PUN ; RACING ; RELIGION ; SLANG

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
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Ethnic Joke: The Italian Who Came to Detroit

Ima don lak Detroit worth a sheet. I check inna hotel and go down for breakfast an I tella da girl I wanna ham and eggs and two piece a toast. I tella her I wanna two peese. She say if you wanna to peese go to da toilet. I say you no unnerstand, I wanna two peese on my plate. She say you don peese on your plate, you sonna ma beech. I no eat, I go to my room.

At lunch time I go donna da street for my lunch inna Drake Hotel. The waitress brings me a knife an a napkin but no foke. I tella her I wanna foke. She say whatta you talk, everybody wanna foke. I say you no unnerstand, I wanna foke on the table. She say you don care where you foke, you sonna ma bech. So when she call me sonna ma beech, I go back to hotel.

When I get inna da room I got no sheet on my bed, so I calla da manager and tell him I wanna sheet on my bed. He says don sheet on your bed, go to the bathroom. You no unnerstand, I say, I wanna sheet on the bed. He say you better not sheet on your bed, you sonna ma beech. So when he call me a sonna ma beech, I go check out. I go to da desk to check out to New York, and when I leave the manacer say Peace on You. I say peese on you too, you sonna ma beech cause I go back to Italy.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The word Italian is written in the upper left hand corner of the submission.

Submission card was located in a pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; SAINT CLAIR SHORES

Keyword(s): AMERICAN ; Cultural Divide ; EUPHEMISM ; HUMOR ; Italian ; Language ; Language Barrier ; NEW YORK ; OBSCENE IMPLICATION ; SPEECH ; Stereotype

James Callow Keyword(s): Italian

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
ITAL

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Ethnic Joke: Italian

Two Italians were watching ships in the harbor when a submarine came in. One turned to the other and said,

"Thatsa U Boat."

"No, I justa watch."

Submitter comment:

Informant said that he first heard this at wedding last summer. It took the informant at least ten minutes to tell this joke because he kept laughing.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The word Italian is written in the upper left hand corner of the submission card.

Submission card located in pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ETHNIC ; Italian ; Language ; Language Barrier ; Submarines

James Callow Keyword(s): Italian

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse Translations, plays on words, symbol writing
RIDDLE -- W566

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Ethnic Joke: Black

Negro:

Excited negro bank bandit says "OK you mudder stickers, this is a fuck up."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in a pile marked [?]

Where learned: BUFFALO ; NEW YORK ; Collection

Keyword(s): Black ; DEROGATORY ; ETHNIC ; HUMOR ; Language ; NEGRO ; Offensive ; SLANG ; Stereotype ; TONGUE TWISTER

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ill humor Ridicule Mockery
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Language

Slang Expressions:

Dippy, fag, flag, bad, bold, jive, slimey, freaky, chumpy, jivey, cool, rocked, jammed, super, ain't, jolly, looney, goof, goofy, "da," bull, shoo, shy not, why.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

Where learned: SAINT HYACINTH SCHOOL

Keyword(s): Language ; SLANG ; Vernacular ; Vocabulary

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Vocabulary

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Language

Tongue Twister:

Try saying "toy boat" very quickly five times.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN

Keyword(s): Boat ; Language ; TONGUE TWISTER ; Toy

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Language

Tongue Twister:

Onse smart fellow, he felt smart. Two smart fellows, they both felt smart. Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.

Data entry tech comment:

Say three times fast.

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Pointless? - Not much of a tongue twister?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): FLATULENCE ; JOKE ; Language ; TONGUE TWISTER

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Language

Humorous Verse:

This is a retort a person should use when he says something that he shouldn't have said:

My tongue got in the way of my eye teeth and I couldn't think of what I was saying.

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C700.328] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Keyword(s): Humorous ; JOKE ; Language

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Language

He thinks he's bright just because his mother calls him sonny.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The title word PROSE is crossed out and replaced with the word RETORT

Original BN [Z210] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Written across top of card:

A retort to what? What IS the A? [Given as a retort]

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): HUMOR ; INSULT ; Language ; RETORT

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Language

Tongue Twister:

I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit. upon the slitted sheet I sit.

Submitter comment:

From Childhood

Data entry tech comment:

Motif added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Already typed as prose

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): JOKE ; Language ; TONGUE TWISTER

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Language

Tongue Twister:

Slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, I slept upon a slitted sheet.

Submitter comment:

AS told in Holden Hall (dorm room at UofD)

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

Keyword(s): JOKE ; Language ; TONGUE TWISTER

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Language

Tongue Twister:

I slit a sheet, A sheet I slit, Upon a slitted sheet I sit.

Submitter comment:

This one was told to me by my mom many years ago.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): HUMOR ; JOKE ; Language ; TONGUE TWISTER

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Language

A Tongue Twister:

I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit, a well be slitted sheet was it. [sic]

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [S260] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; PONTIAC

Keyword(s): HUMOR ; JOKE ; Language ; TONGUE TWISTER

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Language

Tongue Twister:

I slit a seat, a seat I slit, upon the slitted seat I sit.

Data entry tech comment:

Added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Language ; RHYME ; TONGUE TWISTER

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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